“Ramadan Drummer”
Hardcover Picture Book – Jan 30, 2024
Author: Sahtinay Abaza
Illustrator: Dinara Mirtalipova
40 pages
Publisher: Reycraft Books
One night during Ramadan, Adam startles awake. BANG! BANG! BANG! It's the Ramadan Drummer, wandering the streets to wake everyone up for a meal before the day's fast. As Adam explores the dark streets with the drummer, he learns that every act of kindness is rewarded tenfold during Ramadan. This heartwarming tale teaches how community and giving are central to the spirit of the holiday.
Junior Library Guild
Gold Standard Selection
In this warmly interpersonal work, the creators illuminate the tradition of the Ramadan Drummer, who, before alarm clocks, would “call us out of bed for our last meal before fast.” After iftar one evening, young Adam’s mother and aunt reminisce about the Ramadan Drummer, a story that works its way into his dreams. Abaza writes that Adam “walked alongside the Drummer beating and chanting, until all the homes were lit,” en route hearing whispers drifting from homes, telling him what’s on his neighbors’ hearts. Reminded by the drummer that during Ramadan, “every act of kindness is rewarded tenfold,” Adam the next day delivers appropriate gifts to the neighbors, realizing that, though his fasting “stomach was empty... his heart was full.” Mirtalipova’s dazzling naif illustrations use blocky shapes, inky colors, and intricate patterns to detail day and night sequences. Characters are portrayed with brown skin. Creators’ notes conclude. Ages 5–9. (Jan.)
A Muslim boy’s imagination soars as he learns about an old Ramadan tradition.
Adam waits impatiently for sunset so he can break his fast. When the family eats together, his mother and aunt reminisce about their first fast, when they were woken up for the pre-dawn meal by the Ramadan Drummer—a tradition that ended when people began relying on alarm clocks. That night, Adam dreams of meeting the Ramadan Drummer. Together they chant and beat the drum “until all the homes were lit.” The Drummer alerts Adam to the murmurs coming from the houses—a boy named Zane wishes for a friend; a girl named Hannah has won a tournament; homesick Mr. Sami longs for his family. The Drummer tells Adam, “During Ramdan, every act of kindness is rewarded tenfold.” The next day, Adam invites Zane to play, writes a note to congratulate Hannah, and drops off a gift for Mr. Sami. As he races home to break his fast, his stomach is rumbling, but his heart is filled with warmth. The uplifting story comes full circle as Adam realizes that good deeds are essential to Ramadan and fasting. The beautiful folk art–inspired illustrations are peppered with bright florals; scenes of Adam’s magical night, rendered in inky blacks and blues with pops of red and yellow, evoke a sense of coziness. Characters are brown-skinned, but the setting is unspecified.
A lively telling of the true spirit of Ramadan. (author’s and illustrator’s notes) (Picture book. 4-8)
Kirkus Reviews
